Acetylene-gas generator.



No. 841,148. PATENTED JAN. 15, 1907. A. H. HEBERT. AGBTYLENE GAS GENERATOR. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 24, 1905.

5 z SHEETSS HEET 1.

'FIJL 1 THE NORRIS PETERS co., WASHINGTON, n. c.

No. 841,148 PATENTED JAN. 15, 1907. A. H. HEBERT.

AGBTYLENB GAS GENERATOR.

APPLIOATION FILED JIfNE 24, 1905.

2 SHEBTSSHEET 2.

'I'EZLa rm: NDRRIS PETERS cm, WASHINGTON. a. c,

ALBERT H. HEBERT, or noL-YoKE, MASSACHUSETTS".

ACE'TYLENE GAS GEN ERATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. Jan. 15, 190.7.

Application filed June 24, 1905. Serial N0- 266,780.

To all, whom, it. may concern:

Be it known that-I, ALBERT H. HEBE T, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Holyoke, in the county of Hampden and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Acetylene-Gas Generator, of which the following is a specification. I

My invention relates to improvements in acetylene-gas. generators inwhich a water reservoir is mounted on a generator or gaswhich is capable of supplying either one or a plurality of burners with equal facility, the single light alone beingas steady as when burning with another orothers and vice versa; third, to furnish an apparatus in which the generating process is quickly started and can be quickly stopped; fourth, to employ a comparatively small volume of water by utilizing the, cooling-chamber and a central pipe for the purpose of obtaining the necessary head, fifth, to afford adequate means for cooling both water and gas, and, sixth, to provide a practicable and efficient: generator especially adapted for use, on automobiles, whichembodies all desired features, of advantage, including, among others, safety with genuine utility in its broadest, sense.

I attainthe objects and advantages above pointed out and others which will appear hereinafter by the means illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a, front elevation of my generator; 2, a vertical section on lineso; a: locking in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 3; Fig. 3, a vertical section on lines y. {1 looking in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 2; Fig. 4, an enlarged section through the twoway valve;

Fig. 5, a plan view of the carbid holder, and- Fig. 6- an end detail of. a portion of said holder.

Similar letters of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

My construction includes a generator-cas ing or gas-chamber A below and a casing B above, divided into a cooling-chamber a and a water-chamber b, the latter being in the top of said casing B. A substantial bottom B, which forms the floor of the chamber a, is provided for the casing B, and this bottom or floor has laterally-extending bifurcated ears 0. A groove a is made in the under side of the floor B, adjacent the edges thereof, to receive the upper edges of the casing A, and there is a packing c of live rubber or equivalent material in said groove, so that a tight joint can be formed between the two casings. On each side of the casing A is a forked lug d, having pivoted thereto at d a rod d, screwthreaded at its free terminal tov receive a. thumb-nut d. The two rods d are directly below the ears 0 when the casing B is in place on the casing A. To securely fasten the casing B'to the casing A, turn the rods d upward and into engagement with the ears 0, the thumb-nuts d being above said ears. Then screw down said thumb-nuts tight onto. the ears. This operation produces an absolutely tightjoint between the two, casings.

When it is desired to separate the casings, simply loosen the thumb-nuts d and disengage th em and the rods 0 from the earsc.

I prefer to employ in this generator a vibrating or swinging carbid-holder, and in this connection attention is called to the holder C in the drawings, which is suspended at the ends on pins e e, projecting inward from opposite sides of the chamber A. Each pm e is received into a vertical slot 6 in the corresponding end of the holder, said slot eX- tending from the point of suspension just below the upper edge downward through the bottom edge, by which arrangement said holder can be easily and quickly removed and replaced in the gas-chamber and when in place therein is adapted to swing on the supporting-pins within the limits fixed by the front and back of said chamber. The floor of the holder 0 is perforated, preferably consisting of wire mesh, to permit the residue or ashes from the disintegrating carbid to drop through into the space provided below in the gas-chamber, and such floor is down wardly convex, by preference, so that. the carbid will gravitate toward the center.

The slots 6 in the ends of the carbid-holder are covered by inwardly-extending vertical shields e e, which leave plenty ofspace for the pins e and prevent the .carbid from entering said slots. On the inside faces of the shields e" are vertical ways or guides e e for a plate or separator C, the end edges of said separator operating in said guides. Ears e e at the upper corners of-the separator C bear onthe upper edges of the guides e and limit the downward movement of said separator. While the top of the separator is abouteven with the top of the holder C, the bottom of said separator is some distance above the bottom of said holder. The office of theseparator is to prevent too much movement to the larger pieces of carbid in the upper part of the holder, while permitting the fine carbid. below to commingle freely as said holder vibrates and the ashes to be shaken out. The separator is made removable to enable it to be taken out while the holder is being cleaned and to facilitate cleaning the separator itself and more particularly the drip-receiver c The drip-receiver f is a vertical pipe located in the center of the separator and extending below the same nearly to the floor of the holder. The receiver is closed at the bottom, but has perforations f in the sides adjacent such bottom.

In order to get to the inside of the chamber A for the purpose of removing the ashes and refilling the carbid-holder after the generator has been used and the supply of carbid exhausted it is necessary to take off the casing B, with its contents. After recharging the casing is returned to place and secured, and it with this last condition in view that the following description of parts and of operation is given. Before proceeding with this description, however, it should be clearly understood that the lower terminal of the dripreceiver f is buried in" the carbid below the horizontal plane of the lower edge of the separator C "and that the finer portions of the carbid inevitably work to the bottom of the mass, where a thorough commingling is brought about by the vibratory motion imparted to the holder C from the motion of the machine, the carbid above said plane being kept more or less steady by said separator, but'eventually passing downward to be broken up and disintegrated like that which has preceded.

. The reservoir bhas a filling-hole b in the top, closed by a screw-cap b vented at b. gis a strainer below the hole I). 7 Within the cooling-chamber a are two vertical pipes h, opening at the top into the reservoir 6, two horizontal pipes h, connected at their outer ends by elbows with said pipes h and at their inner ends with a T h, a horizontal pipe 11, opening at the back into said T and at the front through a constricted curved terminal into a vertical rece tacle t, a small pipe i. extending upward Tom. the. T for wardand downward to the top of said retying at the outer end.

at 0 both are closed.

way valve 7' therein at the base of the rece tacle. A small drip-pipe it depends from t e casing passes through the floor B, and enters'the open upper end of the receiver A vertical gas-pipe Z, open at the bottom and closed at the top, extends from the top of the chamber A through the chamber a into the upper part of the reservoir 6. A vertical gas and waste pipe m is also located partly in the cooling-chamber and partly in the reservoir, such p'ipe being closed at both ends. Within the cooling chamber an inclined waste-pipe m extends between the lower terminal of the pipe m and the valve-casing, and a second waste-pipe m passes from the opposite side of said valve-casing out through one of the openings a in thecasing B, emp- In each of the pipes h is a filling n of wicking or other suitable absorbent material, and there is a similar filling n in the pipe i, only the latter filling is about one-half as dense as each of the others. In Fig. 3 the pipe i is partially broken away to expose the filling therein. I

The valve j has two through-passages 0 and 0f therein, the former being arranged to connect the passage in the drip-pipe It With that in the receptacle 'i when the valve is properly positioned and the latter to connect the passages in the waste-pipes m and m when the position of the valve is right for this purpose. A stem j extends forward from the valve j through the front side of the chamber a, and fast upon the protru 'ng terminal is a pointer 1'', also a suitable handle. Three indicator marks and characters for the same appear onthe face of the front of the casing B convenient to the pointer j, such characters reading as follows from left to right: 1 0 2. Thearrangementof parts is such that when the pointer j is at 1 the water-feed is open and the wastepassage closed, when at 2 the water-feed is closed and the waste passage open, and when attached at its higher end to the gas-pipe'l and at its lower end to the gas and waste pipe m. I prefer to employ here a coil of pipe; so as to obtain more surface exposure to the Water or cool air in the reservoir, s nce such pipe serves as a condenser, as will pres-- ently appear. The pipe m is provided near 5 ceptacle, and a valve-casing j, having a twoi the top with one, two, or more outlets for a in v This compartment may be styled an" gas, a connection or connectionsbeing made 1 off, and then enough moistened carbid rebetween such outlet or outlets and the burner or burners.

9 represents; an outlet or outlet-tube extending from the pipe m out through the adjacent Walls of the reservoir 1) and casing B.

To start the generator, assuming that all is in readiness, open. the Water-feed by turning the pointer j to 1, when Water from the reservoir enters the receiver f through the valve and the drip-pipe 7c, the valve-passage 0 now standing vertically. Also open .one or more burners, as the case may be. The proper feed is insured by the presence of the filling in the pipes h andi and the constiict ed entrance to and exit fromthereceptacle i. The Water drips into the receiverf at the top and escapes through the perforations f the bottom to unite With the carbid and assist in generating gas. The gas thus gen erated rises through the pipe Z, circulates through" the pipe or coil-p, Where it yields Whatever moisture may be contained therein, or at least a considerableproportion of such moisture, and finally passes through the pipe m and the outlet q (or outlets) and connection (or connections) to the burner, (or burners,) Where it is ignited. No connection or burner is shown. finds its Way into the pipes on and m, but cannot escape by Way of the pipe m until the valve is turned to bring its passage 0 into a substantially horizontal position, as When the pointer j is at 2.

When the amount of gas generated becomes excessive from any cause, the increased pressure is immediately relieved by the entrance of gas into the drippipe 7c and the consequent shutting off of the Water-supply to the carbid. The gas forces the Water out of the pipe Z? and the receptacle 6 through the pipe i into the T h" and out of said T and the pipes 72/ and h back into the reservoir Without disturbing to any extent the Water contained in the filling n in the pipe 'L. Whatever gas may find its Way into the reservoir can escape through the vent b in the screwcap I). As soon as the surplus moisture around the base of the receiver f has been used up the gas-pressure becomes normal again, and the Water commences once more to drip from thereceptacle i, the Wet condi-- tionin which the filling n Was left at the time thegas drove the Water from the adj acent pipes causing a prompt resumption of the Water-feed operation.

Since there is a double quantity of filling in each of the pipes h to that in the pipe 1, the seepage of Water through the latter is practie cally equal to that through both of said pipes it together; hence the steady and even sup ply or feed under ordinary circumstances.

The generator Will continue to Work as long as there is any carbid remaining in the holder unless the Water-feed be sooner shut The water in the coil 7)- mains to generate some little gas and supply the light or lights a While longer; but if it is desired to take advantage of this the pointer j should be turned from 1 to 0 instead of to 2, so as to close the feedpassage- Without opening the wastapassage; otherwise the gas either Wholly or in part Would be liable to escape through the latter passage instead of passing to the igniting point or points.

At any time during eneration the generator can be closed doWn by turning the pointer to 2. Then the Water ceases to drip into the receiver, and the accumulation of Water in the pipes m and m escapes through the valve and the pipe m. Gas also can escape this Way in the event that the burner or burners has or have been closed before exhausting the generator, the gas then assisting to clear out the Waste-passage. Were the pointer turned to .0 instead of to 27 in closing down the generator, the Water-feed Would be cut off, to be sure; but no Way Would be left open for the Waste Water and gas, if any, to pass off. The Water-feed and Waste passages should not ordinarily be bothclosed at once except in the case mentioned in the preceding paragraph.

Although the receiver f swings With the holder and separator, the Water-feed is not affected thereby, because said receiver is enough larger than the pipe is to permit of the necessary motion.

It Will be obvious to one skilled in the art that various changes may be made in this generator and its parts Without departing om the nature of my invention, and I desire to include and cover all such changes Which fall Within the scope of my invention. In this connection I Wish to state that one set of pipes h and it may be omitted and fairly good results obtained under some conditions With the remaining set of corresponding pipes.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, in an acetylenegas generator, of a generator-casing proper having a gas-chamber therein, a separate independent casing of like area arranged to rest upon and be secured to the first-mentioned casing, said supplementary casing having a Water-reservoir in the upper portion and a cooling-chamber in the lower portion thereof, the end Walls of said cooling-chamber being cut aWay to give free access to the interior thereof, and the sidewalls of said cooling-chaml: er being substantially continuous excepting for air-passageopenings therein, Water-feed conduits from said reservoir and a two-way-valve casing and valve in the cooling-chamter, said Water-feed conduits communicating With the generator-chaml; er, a gas-pipe passing through the cooling-chamher from said gas-chamber to the reservoir, and waste-pipe connections in the cooling chamber, said valve controlling both the water-feed and the waste, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, in an acetylene-gas generator, with. a casing provided with supporting means projecting inward from opposite walls thereof, of a carbid-holderhaving recesses to receive said supporting means and adapted to be supported thereby and toswing in said casing while extending sub stantially the entire distance between two of its walls.

3. The combination, in an acetylene-gas generator, with a gas-chamber, of a vibrating carbid-holder therein, and a separator in said holder, the bottom of said separator being above the bottom of the holder.

4. The combination, in an acetylene-gas generator, with a gas-chamber provided with interior pins, of a carbid-holder slotted to receive such pins and adapted to be suspended therefrom.

5. The combination, in an acetylene-gas generator, with a gas-chamb er provided with interior pins, of a carbid-holder slotted to receive such pins and adapted to be suspended tperefrom, and shields in said holder for the s ots.

6. The combination, in an acetylene-gas generator, with a gas-chamb er provided with interior pins, of a carbid-holder slotted to receive such pins and adapted to be suspended therefrom, shields in said holder for the slots, provided with guides, and a separator adapted to be held in place by such guides.

7. The combination, in an acetylene-gas generator, with a gas-chamber, of a carbidholder therein, a separator in said holder, the bottom of said separator being above the bottom of the holder, and a drip-receiver in the holder extending below and opening below the horizontal plane of the bottom of the receiver. i

8. The combination, in an acetylene-gas generator, with a water-feed apparatus consisting in part of a drip-pipe, of a vibrating carbid-holder, and a drip-receiver supported in said holder in operative relation with said drip-pipe.

9. The combination, in an acetylene-gas generator, of a gas-chamber, a water-reservoir, water-feed apparatus leading fromsaid reservoir to said gas-chamb er, a valve-casing and a valve forming part of such. apparatus, a condenser-coil in the reservoir, a gas connection between the gas-chamb er and said coil, a waste-water connection between the coil and said valve-casing, said valve control ling both the water-feed and the waste, and a gas-outlet from that part of the waste-water connection which is in the reservoir.

10. The combination, in an acetylene-gas generator, with a gaschamber, and a waterreservoir, of connecting feed apparatus comprising pipes leading from said reservoir to a common connection, a pipe leading from such connection, a receptacle connected with the last-mentioned pipe, and a drip-pipe leading from said receptacle into said gasconnection, a receptacle connected with the last-mentioned pipe, a drip-pipe leading from said receptacle into said gas-chamber, and a valve interposed between the receptacle and drip-pipe.

12. The combination, in an acetylene-gas generator, with a gas-chamber, and a waterreservoir, of connecting feed apparatus comprising pipes leading from said reservoir to a common connection, a pipe leading from such connection, a receptacle connected with the last-mentioned pipe, a second. pipe leading from said connection to said receptacle, and a drip-pipe leading from the latter into said gas-chamber.

13. The combination, in an acetylene-gas generator, with a gas-chamber, and a waterreservoir, of connecting feed apparatus com prising pipes leading from said reservoir to a common connection, absorbent filling in such pipes, a pipe leading from such connection, absorbent filling in this pipe, a receptacle connected with the last-mentioned pipe, and

.a drip-pipe leading from said receptacle into said gas chamber.

14C. The combination, in an acetylene-gas generator, with a gas-chamber, and a waterreservoir, of connecting feed apparatus comprising pipes leading from said reservoir to a common connection, absorbent filling in such pipes, a pipe leading from such connection,

absorbent filling in this pipe of less density 7 than that in the other pipes, a receptacle connected with the pipe which leads from the connection, and a drip-pipe leading from said receptacle into said gas-chamber.

15. Feed apparatus, for an acetylene-gas generator, comprising the water-reservoir, a water-receptacle having a drip-pipe connected therewith, and supply-pipes leading from said receptacle and adapted to be connected with said reservoir, the connection between the receptacle and said supply-pipes being smaller than either.

' 16. Feed apparatus, for an acetylene-gas generator, comprising a waterreservoir, a water-receptacle, and pipes, having absorbent filling in certain of them, leading from said receptacle and adapted to be connected with said reservoir, the connection between the receptacle and said pipes being smaller than either. v

17. Feed apparatus, for an acetylene-gas generator, comprising awater-reservoir, a water-receptacle, pipes leading from said receptacle and adapted to be connected with the reservoir, and absorbent filling of different densities in certain of said pipes, the denser filling being nearer the reservoir.

18. Feed apparatus, for an acetylene-gas generator, comprising a water-reservoir, a water-receptacle, supply-pipes leading from said receptacle and adapted to be connected with said reservoir, and a by-passage pipe connecting said receptacle with said supplypipes at a point between the receptacle and reservoir connections.

19. The combination, in an acetylene-gas generator, with a gas-chamber, a water-reservoir, and an open-air or cooling chamber between said gas-chamber and reservoir, of supply-pipes arranged in angular relation with each other in said cooling-chamber and opening into said reservoir, a water-receptacle connected with said supply-pipes at the end opposite that which opens into the reservoir, a drip-pipe connected with said receptacle, and a valve adapted to control the flow of water from the receptacle into said drippipe.

20. The combination, in an acetylene-gas generator, of a gas-chamber, a water-reservoir, an open-air or cooling chamber between said gas-ch amber and reservoir, supply-pipes arranged in angular relation with each other in said cooling-chamber and opening into the reservoir, a water-receptacle connected with said supply-pipes at the end opposite that which opens into the reservoir, a drippipe connected with said receptacle, a condenser in the reservoir, a connection between the gas-chamber and one end of said condenser, a combined gas and waste pipe connected with the other end of the condenser, a gas outlet pipe or pipes leading from the upper part of said last-mentioned pipe and a waste conduit leading from the lower part thereof, and a valve arranged and adapted to control both the flow of water from the receptacle into said drip-pipe and the escape of water or gas or both through said conduit.

21. The combination, in an acetylene-gas generator, with a gas-chamber, a water-reservoir, and an open-air or cooling chamber between said gas-chamber and reservoir, of supply-pipes arranged in angular relation with each other in said cooling-chamber and opening into the reservoir, a water-receptacle connected with said supply-pipes at the end opposite that which opens into the reservoir, absorbent filling in the horizontal portions of the supply-pipes, a drip-pipe connected with said receptacle, and a valve adapted to con trol the flow of water from the receptacle into said drip-pipe.

22. The combination, in an acetylene-gas generator, with a gas-chamber, a water-reservoir, and an open-air or cooling chamber between said gaschamber and reservoir, of supply-plpes arranged in angular relation with each other in said cooling-chamber and opening into the reservoir, a w ater-receptacle connected with said supply-pipes at the end opposite that which opens into the reservoir, absorbent filling of different densities in the horizontal portions of the supply-pipes, a'

drip-pipe connected with said receptacle, and a valve adapted to control the flow of water from the receptacle into said drip-pipe.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALBERT H. HEBERT.

Witnesses:

F. A. CUTTER, J. M. STERNs. 

